Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Perham, J. F. (2008). Rediscovery of an "extinct" galapagos tortoise. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105, 15227–15228.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (04 Feb 2009 18:47:54 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Perham2008 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Chelonoidis, Systematik = taxonomy, Testudinidae Creators: Perham Collection: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
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| Abstract |
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Over the past three centuries, humans have demonstrated increasing scientific curiosity about biodiversity. During this time, we developed a classification scheme that accelerated the description and codification of species (1), profound new theories to explain diversity (2), explicit frameworks of taxonomic study (3), and DNA-based methods for characterizing lineages (4). Despite these academic advancements, the progress of biological discovery has struggled to keep pace with an increasingly modified natural environment, because the past 300 years have also witnessed the exponential growth of human population (from 6 × 108 to 6 × 109) and concomitant anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity. Human-mediated extinctions, translocations, and genetic pollution obscure and erode natural patterns of distribution and variation (which is especially true for economically and calorically valuable species, like turtles). A study by Poulakakis et al. (5) in this issue of PNAS wrestles with all three of these complicating factors and provides an excellent example of the resources and methodologies required to tease apart patterns resulting from natural and artificial processes. In doing so, this study reaches an astonishing conclusion: A species that we thought was eaten to extinction still survives…in part. The species in question is a Galápagos giant tortoise, one of 15 species (13 formally described) from the famous archipelago (5). The Galápagos Islands are well known for bearing the fauna that helped inspire Darwin to develop his landmark theory of natural selection (2). The giant tortoises should be given partial credit … Added by: Sarina Wunderlich |
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Added by: Sarina Wunderlich |